An exciting two day project brought Year 9 & 10 pupils to the National Memorial Arboretum to create original poetry inspired by the UK Police Memorial. Led by Poet in Residence Arji Manuelpillai, the residency marks the memorial’s fifth anniversary and offers students a chance to explore remembrance through words. Student poems will be shared publicly as part of a sound installation and one winning poem will be featured during the commemorative service by its young author.
The project aims to connect young people with the legacy of the UK Police Memorial while strengthening creative writing skills under professional mentorship. It gives students a meaningful public platform for national remembrance and fosters intergenerational dialogue between students, serving officers and memorial staff. The resulting sound installation will create a lasting tribute that broadens access to commemoration and keeps the memorial’s stories alive.
Day One: On the first day, pupils were welcomed and introduced to the history, purpose and significance of the UK Police Memorial. They explored the memorial space and participated in workshops focused on the stories and people the memorial honors. With Arji Manuelpillai’s guidance, students participated in poetry sessions and listened to fa serving officer about personal experiences.
Day Two: The second day concentrated on developing and refining poems through targeted workshops and feedback. Pupils took part in recording sessions and produced audio pieces for the public sound installation. These recordings will be curated to form a respectful, accessible artistic tribute that invites visitors to engage with the memorial’s meaning.
Mrs Craddock, Teacher of English, commented, ‘having the opportunity to work alongside a real working poet was amazing, as was the tour of the arboretum. Although we didn’t take the winning title, I am incredibly proud that our pupils audio poems will still be played on the listening stations around the Police Memorial from late July until November. This in itself is a fantastic achievement for our pupils, well done to everyone who was involved.’
